King of glory, King of peace

Description

for SATB and organ, with optional congregation This joyful Lenten anthem sets George Herbert's well-known hymn 'King of glory, King of peace'. Both the organ and choral parts are characterized by a playful juxtaposition of crotchet and dotted crotchet rhythms within a triple metre, giving the anthem an upbeat feel, perfectly suited to the nature of the text. Chilcott skilfully weaves the hymn tune 'Gwalchmai', to which this hymn is commonly sung, into the middle section, bringing the piece to a close by offsetting an emphatic rendition of the tune by the congregation (or a small group of singers from within the choir) against the rapturous choral harmonies.

King of glory, King of peace

Composer Information

Bob Chilcott (b.1955)

Bob Chilcott has been involved with choral music all his life, first as a Chorister and then a Choral Scholar at King's College, Cambridge. Later, he sang and composed music for 12 years with The King's Singers. His experiences with that group, his passionate commitment to young and amateur choirs, and his profound belief that music can unite people, have inspired him both to compose full-time and, through proactive workshopping, to promote choral music worldwide.

King of glory, King of peace

Reviews and Awards

"This is a clever and effective anthem. A lively setting of George Herbert's words, alternating 6/8 and 3/4 in effect (although notated throughout in 3/4) gradually introduces into the choral texture the hymn tune Gwalchmai to which those words are often sung. For the final verse, the congregation or a small group of singers sings the hymn tune in unison whilst the rest of the choir and organ enjoy pitting themselves against it. And we realize that the music of the first verse was the countermelody to the hymn tune in the final verse: very satisfying!" - James L. Montgomery, Church Music Quarterly, June 13